Judith Collins MP
National Party Welfare Spokeswoman

20 September 2006

Benson-Pope in denial about his own figures

National Party Welfare spokesman Judith Collins understands that David Benson-Pope would be embarrassed by figures showing 73 people have been on a benefit for more than a decade due to stress.

"I understand why this Minister would be embarrassed by these figures, but they are his own figures. How can that be misleading?"

Earlier today, Ms Collins released figures from parliamentary questions showing 478 people have been on a sickness benefit for more than four years due to stress and 73 people have been on welfare for more than 10 years due to stress.

"Does the Minister now disagree with these figures supplied by his office?"

Ms Collins says she stands "100 per cent behind" the statements she made earlier that after seven long years in office Labour is tolerating a "criminal waste of human talent" by not doing more to rehabilitate those beneficiaries with stress related conditions.

ENDS

© Scoop Media